


Into The Breach

by roryheadmav



Category: Pacific Rim (2013), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Avengers/Pacific Rim Crossover, Crossover, Kaijubuster Universe, M/M, brilcrist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-04
Updated: 2013-10-04
Packaged: 2017-12-28 10:25:24
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/990937
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roryheadmav/pseuds/roryheadmav
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Twelve years have passed since the closure of the Pacific Rim Breach, but the Jaeger pilots of the Kaijubuster Shatterdome in Tromso remain vigilant for any possible incursions by the Kaiju and their Masters. When a new recruit joins the team, startling discoveries are made about these alien Masters which could not only endanger the world, but also hinder the Kaijubusters from saving one lost soul.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Into The Breach

**Author's Note:**

> This story that you will be reading was my official entry to Brilcrist's Kaijubuster Fanfic Contest, the rules for which you can read here: http://kaijubusterverse.tumblr.com/ EDIT: Yes, I am very happy to announce this fic has now OFFICIALLY WON FIRST PLACE IN THE CONTEST!!! YAHOOO!!!!!
> 
> "Into The Breach" is probably one of the more difficult stories that I had to write, considering that I did extensive research on the "Pacific Rim" universe and made a lot of edits just to adhere to the very strict rules of this contest. Whether this story wins or not remains to be seen. However, I can say for certain that I am rather proud of this story.
> 
> This tale is one of two stories (the second one will come up in a few minutes) that I've written to celebrate my birthday. Yup, I'm a year older today. Since I haven't been doing well on a career standpoint, at least, with fanfics, I figured I might as well give myself a birthday present that I can be proud of. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you'll enjoy "Into The Breach". I've put a lot of work into the writing of this fic. I'm very happy that Brilcrist and the three judges who judged this contest with her thought my fic worthy of first place. :D

**INTO THE BREACH**

**Copyright October 5, 2013 by Rory**

 

 

Thor Odinson was one of those guys whom nobody took seriously—all brawn but deficient in brain matter.

 

In fact, Marshall Nick Fury would have ignored him completely when, one misty morning, he pounded at the front gates of the SHIELD Tromso Headquarters—or, as it was more popularly known among its officers and staff, the Kaijubuster Shatterdome—proclaiming to all who were watching on the security cameras his lofty ambition of entering the SHIELD Jaeger Program. Fury would have continued to pay no mind to this brash Norwegian, in spite of his having set up a small camp outside the complex, stating that he would not take no for an answer.

 

The problem was Tony Stark—the one person who would most likely be interested in this enthusiastic candidate thus the information of Thor's 'sitdown' was withheld from him—caught a glimpse of the Norwegian on the security monitors when he went to the Command Center one afternoon, thanks to the guard who had shown his ineptness by playing Galaga on the job. Tony's eyebrows went up and an amused smile crinkled his lips, as Thor struck heroic, albeit silly poses, as if all that ridiculous posturing would make him an ideal candidate for the Jaeger Program. Thankfully for him, he was seen by the right man.

 

"Come on, Marshall. You gotta let him in," Tony wheedled Fury in earnest during a closed door meeting to discuss the matter of the bum outside, an assembly that was hastily called by Stark, after having bumped into the Marshall as he was removing the safety from his automatic and getting ready to put the irritating Norwegian out of his misery. "Please? Pretty please let him in!"

 

His co-pilot on IronJaeger and personal aide Jarvis jerked at that request and his platinum blond eyebrows shot up, the first signs of emotion that the brain-damaged man has displayed in a long time. When Tony threw him a sharp glance, the poor butler knew that he had no choice but to speak in favor of his boss' wishes.

 

"You should, at least, give the guy some credit for his persistence," Jarvis commented a bit lamely, which elicited exasperated eye-rolling from Tony.

 

"Stark…" Fury glared at Norway's Jaeger Program financier through one black eye, although the dark eyepatch covering his other eye was just as forbidding. "You know that the Jaegers have been decommissioned for over ten years now since the closure of the Pacific Rim Breach. The only reason why this sole facility continues to exist outside of the Pan Pacific region is because you continue to channel funds into it."

 

"That's because Bruce Banner is not convinced that we've seen the last of the Kaiju or their alien Masters. World leaders made several huge mistakes during the Pacific Rim invasions, resulting in the deaths of millions and injuries, both physical and mental…" Tony glanced knowingly at Jarvis. "…To so much more. I say, better to be prepared than not at all."

 

"Tony, we all share your feelings about the Kaiju, but…come on!" Natasha Romanoff—Captain of the Quinjet Team—protested, waving both hands to the man on the screen. "You're not serious about making this guy a Jaeger pilot. Just look at him!"

 

At that particular moment, Thor was waving a blocky sledgehammer with a short, sawed off handle, which he must have scrounged from the dumpsters that were placed outside the gates for pick up every morning by three garbage trucks.

 

"He's a joke!" Natasha bluntly reiterated her assessment of their unwanted guest.

 

"Precisely!" Tony affirmed, pleased that someone finally got the point he was trying to make. "He'll be great for laughs around here."

 

"Why?" Clint Barton—Natasha's Quinjet co-captain—inquired with a sulky pout on his lips. "My jokes not good enough for ya?"

 

"He may look like a clown to you guys," Bucky Barnes, co-pilot of the American Dream Jaeger, weighed in, "but I think he could be of great help around here. I did a background check on him and I found out that he's a top notch mechanic who doesn't shirk from hard, heavy work. Previous employers have given him high recommendations."

 

"I agree with Bucky," senior Jaeger pilot Steve Rogers concurred with his best friend. "I say we give him a chance, start him off in Technical. If he proves capable, we could promote him into the Program."

 

Fury grimaced at the sight of Thor, with hammer held high above his head, flexing his biceps and pumping his pecs like a big blond gorilla. As he rubbed his bald pate, he muttered, "God, I hope you know what you're doing. But if he breaks something, he's out. Is that clear?"

 

"Crystal," Tony replied, inwardly triumphant at getting his way.

 

"I take it you already sent someone to fetch him."

 

No reply was necessary as Sif, Officer-In-Charge of the Program trainees and a Jaeger pilot herself, wheeled up the driveway in her jeep. Getting down, she strode over to the gates, which automatically opened for her. Thor quickly straightened up upon catching sight of her, switching the hammer to his left hand and lowering it to his side.

 

Saluting smartly, Thor introduced himself with the somberness of a good soldier. "Thor Odinson at your service, Ma'am. I wish to apply for the Jaeger Program."

 

"So I heard," Sif remarked with a tilt of her head, so that her long black hair tumbled over her shoulders. "Apparently, you made quite an impression on Tony Stark."

 

"I'm happy to hear that, Ma'am. I also heard that Mr. Stark is a man of great wisdom and impeccable taste, and that he only wants the best people in the Program. I hope he would give me the chance to prove my worthiness."

 

"Oooh! I really like this guy!" Tony exclaimed, grinning, inside the Command Center as he watched their exchange.

 

"You like anyone who licks your ass," Clint chimed in, wagging his tongue like a cheeky pug.

 

Jarvis rapped the Quinjet pilot at the back of the head. "Please spare me from your Miley Cyrus impression. I don't want to have additional nightmares while I sleep."

 

"How about I just sing you to sleep, eh, Jarvis?" Barton instantly launched into song. **_"I CAME IN LIKE A WREEEECKING BAAAALLLLLLLL!"_**

 

Natasha thrust her gun up the tip of her co-pilot's nose. "Shut up or die!"

 

"Well, you've got your chance, Big Guy," Sif finally said, unable to hold back her smile at the bright puppy dog expression on the Norwegian's face. "Grab your stuff there…" She grimaced and waved to Thor's measly camp. "…And come with me. I'll give you the tour of the place."

 

Thor did not have to be told twice. As he rushed back to his camp, he stumbled over a rock, falling face first into the tent. Before Sif could go over and help him, he just as quickly leaped to his feet and stuffed his meager possessions inside his large backpack. He did not even dismantle his tent properly. Instead, he grabbed the tarp and tucked it under his arm, following Sif with the supports trailing behind him.

 

Sif's right eyebrow went up when she saw that he was still gripping the sledgehammer in his left hand. "You should leave that."

 

But Thor hefted the hammer demonstratively. "Oh no, Ma'am. I'm keeping this with me. It's my good luck charm. I've been waiting here for days, but when I found this hammer, you came for me. Mjolnir and I are the best of friends."

 

"As you wish. Oh, and one more thing. I'm not that old to be called 'Ma'am.' Just call me Sif."

 

"It's a pleasure, Ma…I mean, Sif."

 

As Thor tossed his things in the back of the jeep, Sif got into the driver's seat. She asked curiously, "Why did you name your hammer Mjolnir?"

 

The Norwegian shrugged as he sat down beside her, his heavy bulk rocking the jeep. "Mjolnir was the name of the hammer of the Norse God of Thunder. Since my father Odin named me after said god, I thought it fitting to call my hammer after his weapon."

 

"The names suit you both actually," Sif said in compliment as she turned on the ignition.

 

"I'm glad you agree, Sif," Thor replied sincerely, as they drove into the heart of the Kaijubuster Shatterdome.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

As it turned out, Fury's reservations were largely unfounded as Thor proved himself to be more of an asset than a liability.

 

Already aware of the fact that he knew very little about the Jaegers, Thor took the initiative of learning about the gigantic robots, starting from the simplest mechanics going up to the more advanced technologies. He would repair the common vehicles that everyone used while studying every Jaeger manual and blueprint that was given to him during breaks. He would toil endlessly from sunrise to sunset without complaint, even offering his aid to his fellow mechanics once his work was done.

 

Natasha, who had been earlier against bringing the Norwegian into the complex, would later approach Thor about doing repair and maintenance on the Quinjets. She and Clint would teach Thor about the planes which now served officially as Jaeger transporters in place of the previous, much slower Chinook helicopters. To their surprise, not only did Thor prove to be a fast learner, he was also able to detect flaws in the jets, offering suggestions on parts replacements, tune ups, and various upgrades, which would enable the Quinjets to fly faster, maneuver better, carry heavier loads, and provide air support to the Jaegers. Upon hearing his recommendations, Tony would leap to his feet in eager glee and test the soundness of Thor's ideas immediately in his huge lab in the lowest level of the facility.

 

Despite his numerous contributions to the improvement of the Quinjets, Thor was all too obviously enamored with the Jaegers themselves. It was not uncommon to find the tall blond admiring the great machines while working on a jeep or fixing a rotor on a jet. Steve had caught him staring—and, yes, he was also drooling—at American Dream as he and Bucky were putting the Jaeger through its paces. Although the pilot called the brawny mechanic over, Thor quickly walked away. One time, the Norwegian was gazing longingly at IronJaeger. As Tony watched, blinking, Jarvis marched over to Thor, grabbed his wrist, and pulled him along toward the Jaeger.

 

"It won't bite you," Jarvis remarked in obvious exasperation, although his voice remained devoid of emotion, and slammed the mechanic's palm on the side of IronJaeger's foot.

 

Thor let out a strangled squeal as he jerked his hand back as if burned. His face bright red, he turned on his heels and ran away.

 

Noting the small smile curling up the corners of his butler's lips, Tony said, "It seems he has a positive effect on you."

 

Jarvis gazed at his reflection on the Jaeger's metal surface and beheld himself smiling. "Yes, sir. It seems he does," was the aide's reply.

 

It was this particular aspect of Thor's personality that caught Dr. Bruce Banner's eye when the Kaiju scientist somehow managed to crawl out of his cubbyhole of a laboratory to meet the new addition to the program.

 

The day was Thursday, a day none of the officers looked forward to because it meant another visit from Frigga Vilhjalmsson, wife of the late shipping magnate Laufey Vilhjalmsson. For close to twelve years, Frigga had been visiting the Shatterdomes that were in every part of the Pan Pacific, inquiring about her missing son who was lost during the Kaiju invasion of Sydney. Despite the subsequent closure of all the Jaeger complexes, except for the one in Tromso, the poor woman would persistently go to military officials and government leaders, begging for any word on her son. Since the Kaijubuster Shatterdome was the only Jaeger facility left operating, this meant that they would have to endure the widow's monthly visits.

 

It was supposed to be Bruce's turn to speak with Frigga. Great was the scientist's surprise though when he found the lady in question sitting beside Thor in the lounge. The mechanic had even given her a cup of coffee. From his own seat, Bruce watched as Thor listened attentively to the weeping woman, patting her hand in his gentle grasp.

 

"As I've been trying to tell everyone, Mr. Odinson," Frigga sobbed, dabbing at her eyes with a lacy handkerchief, "my son did not die when the Kaiju attacked Sydney. Before he passed away from his injuries during that attack, Laufey told me that he and Loki were running through the panicked streets, trying to get away from the monster. They somehow managed to get into the car and were about to drive off, but the Kaiju picked them up and hurled them into a wall. Laufey was able to cover our son with his body. However, a loose spike pierced his back. The roof of the car was torn off. Before Laufey could do anything, the Kaiju seized Loki with its glowing tentacles and pulled our son inside the cavity of its body. The monster was later destroyed by a Jaeger, but there was no trace of our son inside its body."

 

Most people would readily assume that the boy had been digested, but not Thor. Instead, the mechanic stated point blank, "You believe that your son has survived."

 

"That's what I choose to believe." Frigga let out a soft, wistful laugh. "Loki would be about the same age as you right now. He would also be adopting the family name 'Laufeyson' in memory of his father." She breathed out a heavy sigh. "Everyone has been telling me to stop. Kind as the people in this facility are, I can see that they have grown tired of my endless inquiries. But…can I help it if I feel it in my heart that Loki is still alive somewhere? Maybe it's just wishful thinking on my part. However, as a mother, there is no…closure…for me. I cannot accept that he is gone without conclusive evidence that he is indeed dead. And yet…it's been twelve years. I should probably accept that Loki is never coming home."

 

"Is that what you want to do, Ma'am? Give up?"

 

"No, but… Can I still…hope?"

 

Bruce took off his glasses and frowned at what Thor said next. "Never stop hoping, Ma'am, because I feel…I **_KNOW_** …that your son is still alive."

 

When Frigga left after an hour, the scientist took the mechanic aside. After introducing himself, he stated frankly, "Thor, I don't approve of what you did earlier with Mrs. Vilhjalmsson. It's too cruel to let her continue hoping for something that could never be."

 

"But that's just it, Dr. Banner. She shouldn't stop hoping because Loki **_IS_** alive." Thor let out a harsh exhalation. "Ever since I was little, I could…feel…things around me. It's difficult to describe, but there is this…connection, like a living network that I can tap into. For example, I could always tell where my parents or friends were. I…I felt my mother die in the hospital while I was in school. When I held Mrs. Vilhjalmsson's hand, I felt the link between her and her son. True, it was very weak, but it was definitely still there. Doctor, I'm sure of it. Loki Laufeyson still lives."

 

Skeptical of the Norwegian's claims, Bruce decided to perform some tests on Thor, and the results he obtained shook him to the core of his being. Even the others were astounded by what the Kaiju scientist revealed to them.

 

"But that's impossible!" Bucky exclaimed. "From years of research, we know that a neural bridge cannot be established without a high percentage of compatibility. That's why the strongest candidates are parent-children, siblings, and married couples. There were a few pilots who were compatible because of their similarities in martial arts training and experiences with the Kaiju, much like Tony and Jarvis. In the case of Steve and me, we are compatible by virtue of our long, close friendship. It's not possible for a person to just meld instantly with anyone."

 

"I'm telling you, Bucky," Bruce insisted. "It's different with Thor. The guy's an empath, and a very strong one. His brain scans prove it. With those values, Thor can Drift with anyone, although the greater the compatibility, the stronger the meld would be."

 

At this claim, everyone began speaking excitedly at the same time, wanting to get out their opinions and arguments.

 

It was Tony, however, who had the final say when he stood up and banged Bruce's report on the tabletop.

 

"Rather than just sit here and argue to death, why don't we just put Point Break to the test?"

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Much to the astonishment of everyone in the Kaijubuster Shatterdome, Bruce was able to validate his findings with startling accuracy.

 

Not surprisingly, Thor was petrified when he was informed that he would be getting into the Conn-Pods of both IronJaeger and American Dream; the poor guy even fainted. But when he woke up and realized that they were serious about testing him, Thor steeled himself for the task at hand.

 

Despite having been a dissenter earlier, Bucky was stunned to say the least when his mind melded smoothly with Thor's like melted butter. The same also happened when it was Steve's turn. Natasha voiced her strong objection to the mechanic's melding with Tony on IronJaeger, which the billionaire dismissed brusquely. Suffice to say, there was a lot of eye rolling that day as they watched the powerful Jaeger shake its head and twerk its booty to AC/DC's "Thunderstruck".

 

There was one harrowing moment when Thor entered the Drift with Jarvis. With his brain damaged, there was a risk that the neural bridge will not be fully formed. Even if the meld was to be completed, Thor may find himself losing some memories while Jarvis may absorb the Norwegian's for his own.

 

Instead, as the neural handshake commenced, Thor unwittingly tapped into an undetermined portion of Jarvis' brain. One minute, all seemed well, the next, Tony's aide was screaming from the sudden out-rush of long trapped emotions and memories. It was Fury who shut off the neural bridge in the Command Center. When they finally detached the Conn-Pod from IronJaeger and opened it, they found Jarvis kneeling on the floor and gasping for breath, tears streaming from his eyes. Thor himself was in a state of panic, completely at a loss on what to do to help the pilot.

 

But as Tony helped his butler to his feet, Jarvis blurted out, "Good God! I remember everything, sir! I can feel again!" Before Stark could usher his aide to MedLab, Jarvis reached out and squeezed the mechanic's arm.

 

With a grateful nod and a smile, he simply said, "Thank you," and was led away.

 

At the success of his experiments, Bruce was practically preening as he declared to all naysayers, "I told you so!"

 

Then, Clint made a casual remark which was intended to be in jest. "If he can Drift with anyone, would it be possible for him to meld minds with a Kaiju? I mean imagine all the dirty stuff we can learn about those alien Masters."

 

Silence instantly fell upon them, their mirth giving way to somber faces.

 

"What if those Masters get their hands on Thor?" Natasha hypothesized. "Would those aliens be able to learn about us through him?"

 

Needless to say, it was a sobering thought which no one took lightly.

 

After several days of careful discussion, it was decided that Thor will be a reserve pilot, to replace any member among the teams who may become incapacitated in any way. They could not risk putting him on fulltime duty, given his unique ability. In the meantime, he would undergo rigorous training under Sif who, to her relief, found the Norwegian a diligent student and already trained in some forms of martial arts. Because things were going so well with their erstwhile mechanic, Tony decided to remove one of the new Jaegers he had been developing out of pending status in order to tweak it for Thor and Sif to pilot. A feature that he added to the gigantic mech was an enormous handheld hammer, which delighted Thor to no end.

 

When Jarvis asked the Norwegian what name he was going to give the Jaeger, Thor answered as he dreamily looked up at the dark blue, silver, and red painted robot, "Thunder Hammer or maybe Mjolnir. That's going to be her name."

 

This prompted some eye-rolling from Clint, who mumbled, "Why am I not surprised?", which, in turn, led to an elbow in his ribs courtesy of Natasha.

 

"The Jaeger itself should be called Thunder Hammer since all the mechs have two words in their name," Steve recommended, nodding absent-mindedly. "As for the hammer, that's the one you can call Mjolnir."

 

Clint put in, "Nat and I should get a Jaeger of our own then, with one of those rocket thingees that fire from the chest. I'd call them 'Boob Missiles' or 'Nat's Boobie Ballistics'." He even said these last two monikers with the bellowing enthusiasm of an anime mecha character, which the others found hilarious. Except for one.

 

There was a click of a gun followed by a loaded barrel aimed at his head. Natasha muttered ominously, "You really want to die, don't you, Clint."

 

In the months that followed, life in the Shatterdome resumed at its normal, boring pace. Although Thor achieved full-fledged pilot status, there were no distress calls that necessitated the dispatch of a Jaeger. With the Kaiju gone, it was peace time after all. Still, Thor wished he could make his official debut on Thunder Hammer someday.

 

There is a popular Chinese saying about being careful what you wish for or else you will get what you deserve. As it turned out, Thor's wish was a portent for ominous things to come.

 

Everyone was jolted from the lunch they were enjoying in the cafeteria when klaxons started blaring all over the compound. When they rushed to Mission Control, it was to find grim-faced LOCCENT officer Phil Coulson staring at the holographic sensors.

 

"There's no mistaking the readings, sir," Coulson informed Fury. "We have a Category 3 Kaiju in the vicinity of the Challenger Deep, near the site of the original Breach."

 

Since it has been close to over a decade that a Kaiju sighting has been made, the Marshall decided to err on the side of caution, dispatching both IronJaeger and American Dream posthaste to the Pacific Ocean, using the improved Quinjets. Thunder Hammer was ordered to stay on base as back up.

 

As it turned out, the Kaiju proved to be a weak, clumsy thing despite being a Category 3. In fact, the creature didn't even put up much of a fight. In the end, Tony and Jarvis put it out of its misery with a repulsor blast. Because Bruce was on the lookout for fresh Kaiju specimens, the IronJaeger pilots brought the carcass home—the Kaiju now aptly named Kappa because of the large shell on its back—with the help of Steve and Bucky. None of them, however, were prepared for what the scientist found inside the Kaiju's shell.

 

It was during a hastily called assembly two days after the Kaiju battle that Bruce reported his findings.

 

"There is a reason why we have never seen this kind of Kaiju before," Bruce began his report, direct to the point as always. "It has the ability to mask itself from our sensors. Kappa is a collector, gathering…specimens…from the attacking Kaiju and then delivering it directly into the Breach for their Masters to study. Remember those parasitic insects that were found on the Kaiju's skins? These insects apparently secrete a web which they use to wrap their specimens up in cocoons. During the panic and commotion, they would bring the specimens to Kappa, which waited underwater. That's what its shell is for—as temporary specimen storage. We were only able to detect this Kaiju now because it has been permanently closed off from its world where it has been deriving its sustenance."

 

"I'm really afraid to ask this," interjected Marshall Fury, the wrinkles on his forehead now very deep lines from worry and concern. "But what specimens was Kappa collecting?"

 

Bruce did not reply. Instead, he walked over to the sheet-covered specimen pod behind him. When he yanked it off, it caused shocked gasps to be elicited from everyone inside the assembly hall.

 

Floating inside the glass pod was a dissected blue cocoon. Lying nestled in its cavity were the decomposing remains of a human child.

 

In the deafening silence that fell upon the people in the hall, Thor's woeful whisper seemed like a shout.

 

"Oh, Loki."

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

For the first time in over a decade, the Jaeger Program—at least the one in Tromso—was reactivated, albeit secretly.  After a conference with world leaders, it was agreed that the facility and its personnel will not be transferred out of its current premises and moved to the Pan Pacific region so as not to arouse speculation which may result in panic. This suited everyone just fine. The Quinjets were more than capable of deploying the Jaegers to their destinations. It was also decided that the Kaijubusters shall clandestinely patrol the area of the Breach to prevent any possible Kaiju incursions and to search for any more monsters lurking in the depths of the Pacific Ocean which may still have living children trapped inside their gigantic bodies.

 

Since the discovery of Kappa, a search through the Pan Pacific casualty databases revealed that over 2,500 children had been lost during the Kaiju attacks; their remains were never found. Among those unaccounted for was Loki Laufeyson. Four more Kappas were subsequently found by the Kaijubusters. While it was a relief to all that no children—living or dead—were inside the beasts' shells, they still had to face the sobering reality that those poor kids may be in that mysterious Alteverse right now, being experimented upon by the Kaiju Masters.

 

"There is only one way for us to find out," Thor said one day to Tony and Bruce when Marshall Fury had gone to a Pan Pacific Defense Corps meeting. "I could link up with the Kappa's brain and determine for certain if Loki and the other children had survived."

 

"Do you know how dangerous that is, going into the Drift with a Kaiju?" Bruce argued back. "The neural surge would be tremendous, even if two Jaeger pilots were to share the load. Let's say that you do successfully achieve a connection, a Kaiju brain is linked to the hive minds of its Masters. If they find out that we've been tapping into their neural network, they might figure out a way to return to our world using the knowledge that you have inside your head. There is also the risk to you personally. Being an empath, your gift shall be an enticement to them which they might not be able to resist."

 

"I'm afraid I'll have to disagree with you on this one, Bruce," Tony strongly interjected. "Too many people have suffered because of the Kaiju. My conscience cannot abide the thought that those missing kids may still be prisoners of the Masters." The tech genius then suggested, "I could re-configure a helmet from one of the Iron Man pilot suits that I've been developing as possible replacements for the Conn-Pods. I could protect Thor's brain by placing a neural barrier that is specifically attuned to his brainwaves and no one else's. This way, he can look into their minds, but they wouldn't be able to do the same to him."

 

"Do it!" Thor said urgently.

 

Bruce waved his hands emphatically. "Guys, you must stop and think through this thoroughly. This is way too risky."

 

"Frigga has been searching for her only son for years," the Norwegian pointed out to the scientist. "She deserves to know what has become of Loki. If he's dead, then she would have her closure."

 

"But if he's alive?"

 

"Then I'll go and rescue him."

 

Bruce shook his head. "I'm sorry to sound so heartless, but I hope he **_IS_** dead, for what you are planning to do will surely endanger us all."

 

Sif—who had been listening to their heated debate outside the door—entered the room. "You're right, Bruce. That is pretty coldblooded coming from you. I agree with Thor and Tony. If any of those children had survived, they are our responsibility, by virtue of the fact that **_WE…KNOW_**." She took Thor's hand and smiled at him. "I'll go with you into the Drift."

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Despite his very vocal apprehensions, Bruce ultimately agreed to help Tony in setting up the connections with the Kappa brain. Since Fury might arrive at any moment, the two scientists managed to get two helmets re-calibrated and connected to the brain in record time. Having heard of their plan, the other Kaijubusters assembled in Bruce's laboratory to witness the proceedings.

 

"I hope you two know what you're doing," Steve could not help voicing out his worry at their extremely risky endeavor.

 

"It's going to be okay, Steve," Sif reassured the blond pilot as she settled back into the comfy armchair. "Besides, I've always wanted to take a peek inside a Kaiju's mind."

 

"Don't worry," Thor put in as he sat down on the chair beside Sif's, donning the tight helmet with wires sticking out of it. "I'm confident that Sif and I can accomplish this."

 

"Jarvis and I will serve as backups in case something goes wrong," Tony said grimly, nodding slightly to his co-pilot who, in turn, gave him a subtle bow.

 

"Be careful, guys," Natasha advised, fidgeting nervously beside Barton. "If they detect you, get out of there fast."

 

To lighten up the mood, Clint declared, "Don't forget to tell me what they've got for porn there on the other side."

 

"Sif, Thor, are you ready?" Bruce asked from the console behind the armchairs in which the two Thunder Hammer pilots were seated.

 

Thor and Sif reached out and held each other's hand in readiness. "Let's do this."

 

As Bruce and Tony's fingers flew over the keys and controls, a computer voice intoned blandly "Commencing neural handshake in 10…9…8…7…6…5…"

 

The doors of the lab burst open and a panicky Bucky Barnes rushed inside. **_"GUYS! THE MARSHALL'S HERE!"_**

 

But it was too late to shut the machine down. Bruce had already pressed the switch to the helmets, propelling Thor and Sif's consciousness into the Kappa's mind.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

At first, Thor saw brief flashes of Sif's childhood and her rise up the ranks of SHIELD and the Jaeger Program, scenes that he was already familiar with, having drifted with his co-pilot many times during training.

 

These pleasant images soon gave way to nothingness, the cold, pitch-black darkness of the Pacific Ocean. At a point ahead of him, though, he saw a large fissure with a blue light and forks of electricity emanating from it. Without a second thought, he took the mental dive into that gaping abyss.

 

For a moment, Thor's eyes were blinded by the sudden transition from darkness to light. As soon as the spots cleared from his vision, he found himself falling past pillars resembling stacked red blood cells and buttresses that looked like spines but glowing with that same sickly bluish white light. Gazing down, a door opened to him, its retracting flaps resembling heart valves.

 

Floating down into the fiery red domain of the Kaiju Masters, Thor gaped in awe at the enormous platforms on top of which were various types of Kaiju, being tended to by their creators. Tubes poured fluids and energies through various parts of their bodies. Overseeing the creation of these Kaiju on a rocky ledge were the Masters, towering, insect-like beings with round, opal eyes which did not miss a single detail in the operations going on below them.

 

What instantly caught Thor's eye was the figure standing among these formidable aliens—a smaller being of about six feet in height, half the size of a Master. Yet, it stood with straight-backed pride and confidence in spite of its deficiency in stature. It was dressed in long, hooded black robes and bearing a pointed, ornate scepter with a glowing blue crystal.

 

One of the Kaiju suddenly stood up from its platform, a great behemoth which resembled a wolf but with scales and its fur was made out of metal hairs which, when bristling, combined to form sharp spikes like the quills of a porcupine.

 

A few of the Masters let out strange clicking noises as a sign of their approval. Most, however, turned away, throwing dark, envious glares at the smaller being whom they considered to be inferior to them.

 

Thor realized what he had just witnessed. The Masters were competing as to who among them will create the strongest Kaiju. And it was this small, dark-robed being who bested them all with this truly awesome, vicious beast.

 

For some strange reason, Thor found himself being drawn toward that strange Master. There was something familiar about its aura, its psychic signature.  Thor weaved through the other Masters, hoping to get a closer look. He was just two meters away, so close and yet so far.

 

Suddenly, Thor felt his consciousness being dragged back into his body. Out of desperation, he threw a cord of empathy at the Master that had caught his eye, that slender thread of thought and emotion latching onto its back and piercing through its chest. Sensing the creation of that connection, it was then that the dark-robed Master pulled back his hood, turning slightly to reveal an all-too **_HUMAN_** profile and a startled green eye peeking through a curtain of silky black hair.

 

**_"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?"_ **

 

Thor's eyes popped open and he gasped, not from the rude awakening, but from the terrifying sight of an angry Fury's black eye glowering down at him.

 

"Hey, Thor! You alright?" the Marshall demanded, giving his face light slaps. "Would someone please tell me what happened?"

 

It was Sif who spoke up, more to spare her co-pilot from anymore of Fury's physical abuse. Thor watched dazedly as she straightened her trembling body up in her chair. Blood was trickling from her nose. "I'll tell you what just happened, sir. We linked up with the Kappa's brain and entered the Drift."

 

"Yeah, I can see that. What I want to know is why you did this without my authorization? Damn it! We are the only operating Shatterdome in the world. We can't afford to lose even a single Jaeger pilot while the world leaders are as yet undecided as to whether they should re-activate the entire program."

 

It was Tony who spoke up next. "We all agreed that we should determine if those missing children are still alive in the Anteverse."

 

"And are they?"

 

Sif shook her head, tears clouding her eyes. "They're dead. They did not survive whatever it was that the Masters did to them."

 

"No, Sif," Thor, at last, found the strength to speak. "One did survive."

 

Oblivious to the fact that he too was bleeding from his nose, Thor looked Fury straight in the eye. Inside his mind, he could feel question marks flying on little wings, battering against the neural barrier of the helmet. Even after he had pulled off his helmet, he could still feel those cautious nudges inside his brain, causing a broad smile to form on his lips.

 

"I was right. Loki Laufeyson is alive!"

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

"No! Absolutely not! You have already went behind my back by performing an unauthorized Drift! I will not order a rescue mission for just one man!"

 

"Then you go and face Mrs. Vilhjalmsson and explain to her why we did not act when we already know **_FOR…A…FACT_** that her son is alive! Damn you, Nick! We have all taken turns lying to that poor woman, **_EXCEPT_** for **_YOU_**! If you don't authorize a rescue, you explain to her why we abandoned her son, because none of us will do it for you this time!"

 

"You heard what Odinson said! Loki Laufeyson is now one of them! A Master! How sure are you that he is not plotting an attack against us as we are arguing right now?!"

 

Thor, who was leaning against the wall in the hallway outside the Marshall's office, let out a sigh, catching Jarvis' attention.

 

"Truth to tell, Loki is not plotting anything," he confessed to Tony's co-pilot. "I can feel him inside my head, trying to peek through my memories." Thor giggled. "He's so curious about me, it's driving him nuts."

 

"You've established an empathic link with Loki?" Jarvis asked, incredulous. "What about you? Can you look inside his mind?"

 

The Norwegian shook his head. "He has shielded his mind from me, but when he's curious, he lets it down just a bit. The emotional bond is stronger though. That's what drew me to him in the first place. In retrospect, his aura reminded me of Frigga, although I hadn't realized it while I was in the Drift. Contrary to what Fury believes, I think Loki is not well-regarded among the Masters. That's why he was so determined to create a Kaiju of his own, and a truly magnificent beast it was. He was so proud of it, and there was this other feeling. Loki probably doesn't remember what that emotion was, but it was too obvious to me that he **_loved_** that Kaiju as though it were his own son. Right now, however, he is distracted with me."

 

"Do you think it's not too late for him?" Jarvis posed the query straight out. "Is Loki Laufeyson still salvageable?"

 

"I believe so," Thor answered just as frankly. "Tony shares my beliefs too, otherwise he wouldn't be arguing in there so strongly with Marshall Fury."

 

"You are right in that Tony thinks Loki can be saved, especially after what you did for me, how you healed my mind. The other pilots share the same convictions. Even Phil Coulson is with us. He thinks he can open the Breach just enough to let someone through. Regardless of how Tony's meeting with Fury will turn out, we have all decided to help you in saving Loki Laufeyson."

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

To everyone's relief though, not only did Marshall Fury give his authorization, he announced that he was going to supervise the entire operation himself.

 

"That's because you bastards are most likely to do something sneaky again and fuck things up!" Fury snorted his disapproval, which earned him secretive grins from the pilots.

 

True to his word, Phil Coulson was able to come up with the precise calculations which would enable them to open the Breach for a few minutes, using the lightning discharge from Thunder Hammer's primary weapon, Mjolnir. Although there was much debate as to who would enter the Breach, it was ultimately decided that Thor was indeed the best man for the job. Because of his existing link with Loki, the Jaeger pilot can easily locate him in the Anteverse and then bring him back to their world within forty eight hours, the time it would take to recharge Mjolnir in order to reopen the Breach again for their escape.

 

It was a very simple plan. Fury did not want to complicate it any further with additional details. Everyone was gung ho about the operation. Only Thor retained his calm composure, not wanting to give away their plan to Loki, who was becoming more and more intrusive in his probing of the Norwegian's mind.

 

On the third day, at midnight, the operation was put into motion. Thunder Hammer, IronJaeger, and American Dream were transported by the Quinjets to the Breach site. Because Sif would be going it solo after Thor departs, Natasha agreed to become backup co-pilot for the Jaeger. Thor himself was ready for his drop into the Breach, dressed as he was in an Iron Man suit made from tough Kaiju scales and cuticles, the DNA material of which will enable him to enter the Alteverse. The suit itself will help him to withstand the hostile, alien environment.

 

However, even the simplest of plans can go awry due to unforeseen circumstances, in this case, a Category 4 Kaiju which had been put on guard prior to the closure of the Breach and had concealed its presence during the Jaegers' battles with the Kappas.

 

Even with the entire Kaijubuster team on hand, they had great difficulty in defeating the fast-swimming, acid-spitting monster. American Dream nearly had its left arm torn off by the Kaiju's prehensile tail. IronJaeger took a direct acid hit in the chest when Tony and Jarvis attempted to fire at the creature with repulsor beams from the mech's palms. It was Thunder Hammer which obliterated the beast in the end with a devastating, lightning-charged blow to the head, courtesy of Mjolnir. But the Jaeger's Conn-Pod was severely compromised by the Kaiju's earlier attempt to crush its head between its massive hands. With the Conn-Pod crumbling from the tremendous ocean pressure, Thor had to act fast and leave the Jaeger in order for Sif and Natasha to return to the surface immediately.

 

Thor barely had time to bid his co-pilot and Natasha farewell before he jettisoned out of the escape vent, using the repulsor rays from the Iron Man suit to propel him toward the Breach. When Sif informed him through the comm-link that she was firing Mjolnir, Thor quickly lowered the photoelectric shield of the visor to protect his eyes as well as to give the suit an extra charge from the lightning flash.

 

Mjolnir's lightning strike was a muffled crack in the ocean depths, but the droning of the opening Breach gave him a mind-numbing headache.

 

Taking a deep breath and committing himself to God, Thor plunged into the Breach. His descent, though, was not as uneventful as the one via the Drift because then it was his mind and not his physical body that went down into that dimension. The minute he passed through the first entrance, he almost found himself zooming into the gaping, roaring mouth of a Kaiju. Thor barely got out of the way in time. Because of his small size, the monster never noticed him, swimming past him in order to head to the opening to the surface. Thor could only pray that his friends would be able to shut the Breach down before the Kaiju could get past their inadequate defenses.

 

It did not take long before Thor finally arrived in the Anteverse. To his relief, the aliens were a-flurry with activity, rushing deployment of the Kaiju for what they believed to be an enemy attack. Never did they notice the infiltrator who had slipped through their defenses. Thor actually thought that he would continue to go undetected.

 

But then, the repulsors at his hands and feet conked out, sputtering out a few measly beams. With nothing to control his descent, Thor plummeted toward the ground below. With a pained cry, he tumbled head over heels down a slope, rolling to a stop before what looked like huge horse's hooves. For several seconds, Thor lay there, dazed, the holographic monitor of his helmet flickering from the impact.

 

Feeling dizzy from the static, Thor thumped the side of his head, and the monitor cleared to reveal a beautiful **_HUMAN_** face staring down at him curiously through luminous jade green eyes. The man before him was making rapid clicking noises, just like the Masters.

 

Thor expected a lengthy search for his quarry. But he never anticipated that the man he would be searching for would come straight to him.

 

In his excitement, Thor disregarded personal safety and flipped the helmet's visor open, his flaring nostrils taking in the stale, but somewhat breathable air. Reaching up with both hands, he cupped that handsome face in his palms and kissed the startled man on the lips.

 

"I've never been so happy to see you, Loki," Thor exclaimed when he drew back, a happy smile lighting up his face.

 

Still in shock by what this audacious Earth creature had done to him, Loki Laufeyson pressed his fingertips over his tingling lips.

 

Loki demanded then in a long forgotten language, **_"Who…the fuck…are…you?"_**

 

Thor was practically beaming with pride when he introduced himself to the stunned man before him. "I'm Thor Odinson, and it is a great pleasure to finally meet you in the flesh."

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

For a first time, albeit unwanted, visitor to the Alteverse, getting around said alternate dimension inside the belly of a Kaiju was a most ignominious way to travel. But if he was to survive in this hostile world in the thirty or so hours that were left to him, Thor had to follow Loki's orders.

 

Thankfully, their trek through this mysterious world went virtually unmolested, although there were two instances when Loki was approached by his fellow Masters—the first clicking disdainfully at him which Loki dismissed with sneering noises of his own and the second, clearly one of higher rank, who gave the human approving hums and clicks followed by a discreet yet still encouraging pat with a misshapen hand. To this Master, Loki bowed in deference.

 

On and on, they traveled deep into the bowels of the Alteverse. As Thor peeked through the thin, semi-transparent skin between the Kaiju's ribs, he marveled at the long, winding rocky roads and the soft, spongy paths covered with Kaiju entrails. They also crossed over small bridges built from Kaiju vertebral columns.

 

Before long, they arrived in a gigantic hive-like cavern with hundreds of individual, hexagonal cells. Clearly living quarters, Thor had a glimpse of rather bizarre-looking furniture inside one cell before its resident shut its door. Loki went to one such cell and waved his hand over the membranous doorway, which irised open and granted them entry.

 

At last safe, the Kaiju's belly opened up and dumped a slime-covered Thor onto the floor. As he was spitting out foul-tasting goo which somehow managed to seep inside his helmet, Thor's blue eyes roamed all over Loki's humble abode. For an alien residence, the Kaiju Master's home had distinctly human touches. Kaiju vertebrae had been hollowed out and affixed to the walls as cabinets. The lone sofa and a large armchair were made from soft Kaiju skin and sturdy bone, held together by threads which were actually dried blood vessels. The smooth crescent table in the center of the room was the curving section of a monster's scapula. When Loki placed his scepter in a cylindrical rack made from a segment of a Kaiju's femur, Thor wondered if his host had not noticed that his taste in furnishings was very different from that of his fellow Masters. There was also the fact that Loki's home was very neat, a glaring contrast to the other Masters who threw Kaiju body parts all over the place.

 

What drew Thor out of his thoughts was the sight of wet, flaring nostrils on his holographic screen. The horse Kaiju playfully nuzzled and licked the pilot's helmet before being curtly ordered by Loki to go into another chamber at Thor's right.

 

Noting the quizzical expression on Thor's face at the Kaiju's queer behavior, Loki explained, "Sleipnir carried you inside his body, even for a short time. Strange creature that he is, he thinks of you as his offspring, even if he is male."

 

"Well, he is rather sweet for a Kaiju," Thor remarked good-naturedly. "Sleipnir reminds me of a horse I once had back in Balsfjord."

 

"Horse?" Loki asked curiously. "You Terrestrials have Kaiju of the same small stature as Sleipnir?"

 

"Terrestrials?" That unfamiliar term caused deep furrows to form on the pilot's forehead. His face lit up like a light bulb, though, when he realized what the Kaiju Master was talking about. "Oh! You mean people like me! We're humans. I'm a human being…as are you."

 

Loki snorted in disgust. "How dare you compare me to you pathetic creatures! I am Loki Laufeyson, Ambassador among the ranks of the Precursors. All that remains for me to do is to prove my Kaiju Fenrir's worth and I shall be promoted to Bishop!" He snickered slyly to himself and mumbled, "They have yet to see my ultimate creation."

 

"Precursors… So that's the correct name for the aliens that control the Kaiju. In my world, they are simply called 'Masters'."

 

"We are not just mere Masters to the Kaiju. They are a part of us, born from our cells. We are connected mind to mind. We see what they see. Learn what they learn."

 

"Yes, we already know that the Precursors are a part of a hive mind."

 

Loki's lips tightened at the knowledge this inferior…human…possessed of the aliens whom he believed to be his kind. "The other Ambassadors had been vain and, in their overconfidence, became careless which led to the Terrestrials discovering our plans." He looked straight into Thor's eyes. "It's a mistake that I shall not make with you."

 

"If you believe me to be a threat, then why did you bring me here to your home?" Thor asked in bewilderment. "I'm a prisoner. You should have delivered me to your leaders."

 

"I do not know how you had accomplished such a feat, but you had linked yourself to me. I had felt you probing my mind and…something else…" Loki rubbed his chest uncomfortably. "If I were to present you to the Cardinals, they will perform their crude experiments on you, even with the link between us intact. It's much like a bond with the Kaiju. If you should die—and, believe me, you will—I too shall perish. I have worked so hard to attain my rank, endured the ridicule of the other Ambassadors and Bishops. I will not see my efforts ruined by a paltry Terrestrial. No, I shall personally study this troublesome bond and determine how best to break it with no or minimal damage to me."

 

"Thank you for your lack of concern toward my well-being," the pilot remarked sarcastically. Thor removed his helmet and set it down on top of the table. "Anyway, you are most welcome to try. The bond between us is not a neural type, but an emotional one."

 

"Emotional?"

 

"It's a bond of…feelings. It's difficult to explain. Simply put, I chose to link up with your heart because your mother desperately wanted to know if you were still alive."

 

"What is this…mother? Some kind of birthing surrogate? I was nurtured inside a growth pod, same as the privileged of my kind. Why I turned out with the abominable body of a Terrestrial is something I could not comprehend!"

 

"That's because you truly are human," Thor helpfully pointed out again. He took a quick glance at the atmospheric readings being flashed on the helmet's visor monitor. "If my guess is correct, you actually find the air outside intolerable to a certain degree, it being high in concentrations of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide. That's because your physiology is different from the Precursors. Your body craves oxygen, a gas which is abundant on Earth. I take it you have an air purifier in here."

 

Before Thor could say more, he was knocked down to the floor by a hard blow from Loki's scepter, which he had not seen the Kaiju Master pick up once more. As he lay there, trying to shake away the stars flying before his eyes, Loki seized the opportunity to place special manacles on his wrists.

 

"I will not listen anymore to your insane prating," Loki declared furiously. "In case you have forgotten, you are **_MY_** prisoner. I will figure out how to break this link and then I shall present you myself to the Cardinals. It might even hasten my promotion," he added with a smirk. "In the meantime, you shall stay here in my home. If you even dare take a step outside, those manacles will incinerate you until you are nothing but a pile of ash."

 

"If you say so," Thor said with an infuriating shrug. "Since I'll be staying here with you, does that mean you'll be giving me something to eat?" He wagged his eyebrows up and down and rubbed his belly. "I am rather hungry."

 

Loki was about to utter a retort at the audacity of this human, but his stomach noisily grumbled its complaint, in unison with the pilot's tummy.

 

"Confounded bond!" Loki cursed under his breath.

 

Thor remembered something. "Oh, I forgot I brought a little treat to tide me over." He pulled out a colorful packet, after digging through the pockets and inner lining of his suit, and handed it to Loki. "Here. Have a Pop Tart."

 

Loki glowered at the thing that Thor was wagging in his face, his expression wondering if it was poisonous. Undeterred, the pilot opened the packet and bit into the tart. "See! It's not poison at all."

 

"But now it has your saliva on it," the Kaiju Master mumbled with distaste. "For all I know, your drool may contain harmful toxins."

 

"Just try it, Loki," Thor growled like an offended puppy.

 

Loki's sharp green eyes would have killed him right on the spot if they possessed the power to do so. In the end, he surrendered to the hunger pangs and took a bite. At once, his face brightened and a rosy blush filled his cheeks. With all the hostility gone from his features, the Kaiju Master was very handsome and so adorable that Thor was tempted to steal a kiss again.

 

Because of the bond, however, Loki instantly sensed his intent. "You will not lock your filthy mouth with mine again!" He then stomped into one of the rooms, still with Pop Tart in hand, to fix them something to eat.

 

Thor followed Loki's heated departure with his mischievous blue eyes. _This is going to be a bit more difficult than I first thought. But I do have something in my favor. He is very curious about me, and I have already seeded the doubts over his identity inside his head. If I push him a little harder, maybe Loki will realize that I am telling the truth and would choose to return home with me without a fuss._

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Thor never realized that he would come to regret his confidence and bravado when Loki made good on his word to experiment on him and try to sever the link between them.

 

Following a brief nap after the most disgusting lunch that the pilot had ever eaten, Thor found himself strapped to a table with probes attached to his head. Using the blue crystal on his staff, Loki boosted his formidable mental powers, battering at the psychic and empathic shields which Thor had erected around his psyche. With every attempt, the pilot felt as if his mind was gradually being seared layer by layer. If Loki were to succeed in breaking through his defenses, the Kaiju Master was sure to learn all the secrets of SHIELD and the Kaijubusters.

 

And this was something that Thor would never allow.

 

Because his restraints were already strained from his struggles, they tore off instantly when Thor lurched to a sitting position on the table. With a roar of **_"ENOUGH!"_** he pushed back with his empathy, shattering Loki's mental shields. Thor had a moment to catch the look of surprise on Loki's face before he found himself in the Drift of the Kaiju Master's lost memories.

 

 

_There was Loki at the age of three, sitting on a magnificent gray stallion with a dapper, smiling gentleman, who could only be his father Laufey, supporting him from behind. His father had called the good-natured horse 'Sleipnir'; for Loki, he would forever be 'Slippy'._

_Loki at five years old, dressed in a green T-shirt and shorts, and hiking boots. He was camping with his doting parents in the woods. There was a moment of sheer terror when Loki innocently lifted his hand in greeting to an enormous gray wolf which had strayed too close to their camp. The wolf had licked his fingertips._

_Loki at eight years old, marveling at the snake cage in the zoo, his emerald eyes fixated upon the python, whose head was weaving before him, equally mesmerized. He had wanted to bring the snake home. His beautiful mother Frigga, utterly mortified, had firmly said no._

_Loki at ten years old, shaking in terror inside a ruined car with his dying father, staring like a petrified fawn at the luminous tendrils that were creeping toward him._

_Loki inside a pod filled with glowing blue liquid, his memories gradually being erased by the Precursors despite his efforts to cling to them. Daring to part his eyelids slightly, he saw thousands of pods similar to his, each with a child inside them. Children chosen for their high intelligence levels. As he watched, a pod before him was opened, spilling out the now foul-smelling fluid and the decaying corpse of the little boy within._

_Loki as a teenager, still inside the pod. All the other children had perished, unable to take the psychic manipulations of the Precursors. Of the thousands of children that the aliens had experimented upon, he alone survived._

_"He is of superior intellect and great mental prowess," a Cardinal had said clearly inside his mind. "He shall become one of us." And Loki had been very proud that this particular Kaiju Master had spoken highly of him._

_The last memory that Loki let go, prior to his assuming the mantle of an Ambassador, was of a very late evening when he was six years old. He had woken up at midnight to strange noises inside his parents' bedroom. Loki had left his room and quietly padded over to his parents' door, opening it a crack. Inside, Loki had watched as his father made love to his mother, watched as their bodies moved in graceful unison, watched as Frigga arched over Laufey's body, a blissful, happy smile on her face._

_Loki had cried then—from the beauty of his parents' coupling and how wonderful true love was._

Loki wrenched himself out of the Drift with a shocked cry. As he crab-walked on the floor away from a just as stunned Thor, he demanded breathlessly, "What…what the hell was that?"

 

Seeing the tears that trickled unbidden down the Kaiju Master's face, Thor did not have to guess what Loki was talking about.

 

His face was a mirror of sorrowful tenderness as Thor answered, "That man and woman you saw? They were your parents. What they were doing that night when you were little…that was how they created you—a precious son born from their bond of love."

 

"No!" Loki shook his head frantically. "That's a lie! You planted those images inside my mind!"

 

"Those images are **_YOUR_** memories, Loki! Memories that the Precursors had tried to purge from your psyche, but which you had kept tightly locked inside your heart because they were very important to you! Even if you doubt those images, your heart will never lie to you! Open your heart, Loki! You will know that everything I have told you, all that you have seen is the truth!"

 

The Kaiju Master pressed his hands over his ears, not wanting to hear anymore from the pilot. With an anguished cry, he fled inside his chamber.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Thor waited for what seemed like an eternity for Loki to emerge from his chamber. He feared that he had pushed the younger man too far, and precious time was running out.

 

It was late in the evening—or what passed for as night in the Alteverse, with the red glow of its skies outside the membranous doorway transformed into a dark maroon—when Loki softly padded into the living room.

 

Thor, who was lying on the couch, swallowed hard, seeing Loki's beautiful, lithe naked body suffused by the blue glow of his staff's crystal propped up against the wall. He was clearly conflicted on what he wanted to do and what he should do next. He was too ashamed to even glance down at the stiff erection between his legs.

 

"Show me!" Loki's demand was a raspy whisper. "Show me what this…'love'…is."

 

The pilot gulped down at this unexpected demand. Surely, the young man before him wasn't asking for… "Loki, I—"

 

"Why are you reluctant now, when you were very insistent earlier? If you have bonded with me, does this not mean that you love me? Now…show me!"

 

Thor hesitated, staring blankly at first at the determined man before him. Yes, they had indeed bonded. But if he were to be truly honest with himself, it was a bond born from a mother's desperation and his fervent desire to help her find her lost son. He cared for Loki, enough to risk his own life so that he could bring him back home to Frigga. However, this was not the love that Loki was expecting and certainly not what he could give at this early point in time.

 

Before he could refuse the younger man's demands, though, Loki ran into his arms and pressed his lips to his mouth, just as Thor had done to him. Loki had taken Thor's sweaty palms, letting those callused fingertips flick over the tips of the sensitive peaks of his chest, the same way Laufey had fondled Frigga's ample breasts in his memory. Moaning, Loki ground his aching, wanting cock insistently against Thor's crotch.

 

The intense emotions that Loki was projecting through their connection overpowered all rational thought. Dashing all sense and reason to the floor, Thor swept Loki into his arms, not breaking their torrid kiss, and carried him inside the bedchamber.

 

Time seemed to stand still as the two men made desperate, passionate love. Thor wanted to take it slow, mindful of the fact that the younger man was still chaste. But Loki, having been deprived of human companionship, was starving for love and affection, and only Thor could satisfy his needs.

 

In the end, the Jaeger pilot surrendered himself completely to the flow of their scalding passions, bringing Loki to a mind-shattering climax repeatedly with lips, tongue and throat. With Loki either on his knees or on his back, Thor brought the proud Kaiju Master down to a sweet surrender. The position that enthralled Thor the most was of him lying supine with Loki straddling his hips and riding his hard cock in graceful abandon, same as in the Kaiju Master's memory of his parents' lovemaking. Loki undulated his body like a sleek siren, driving the pilot's rod harder and deeper inside him with every pistoning motion of his hips. Wrapping his arms around the younger man, Thor eased himself up to a sitting position, burying his face in that firm chest in order to suckle upon swollen tits. Loki responded, not with cries of pain from these initial acts of intimacy, but with soft moans and ragged whispers of "More…oh, more…more, please!" Heaven help him, Thor gave…again…and again…and again. And when they collapsed on the slick sheets of Loki's bed in a hot, sweaty tangle of limbs, Thor was absolutely certain that the guilt would tear him apart.

 

So it was at dawn, a mere four hours before he was to return to the surface, that Thor found Loki standing over him, dressed again in his dark Kaiju Master robes, but his too pale face streaked with tears. The manacles that had bound his wrists were now lying on the floor.

 

"You don't love me." Loki's condemning words hung between them like the swinging blade of an axe pendulum.

 

"Loki, I **_DO_** care for you," Thor argued feebly. "If I didn't, I wouldn't have risked my life to come here in order to bring you back home."

 

"Caring is not the same as true love, like the one…my parents…had. The bond that we have is only one of necessity, born from your desire to help my mother and not out of a sincere love for me." Loki shook his head, forlorn. "You say you'll bring me back home. I have no home, not in your world. My place is here. I will not give up all that I have worked hard for for a non-existent love."

 

"What about your mother? True, I cannot be your lover, but this would make Frigga's love for you even greater than what could have been between us." Thor bit down guiltily on his lower lip. "I may not be able to love you the way you want me to at this time, but there is still…friendship."

 

"No," Loki stated firmly. "After what came to pass, I would always want more, because I am a selfish, envious creature, and I will never settle for less." The Kaiju Master turned his back to the distressed pilot. "Return to your world, Thor Odinson. In two hours, the Precursors shall force open the Breach and unleash four of their most powerful Kaiju into your world. I have already repaired and re-configured your suit for your ascent and so that you can escape undetected. Take my mother some place safe. That's the least you can do for me after you had used me and broken my heart."

 

At these words, Loki left Thor alone in order to prepare for their coming attack. Despondent and defeated, all the pilot could do was put on his suit. Slipping outside, thankful at least to find the residential hive empty, Thor turned on the suit's repulsors and zoomed up the tunnel without the man he had come to rescue.

 

With his heart feeling bereft, the pilot never noticed Loki observing his departure on a craggy ledge with his Kaiju Sleipnir beside him.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

As soon as Thor broke through the surface of the ocean, it was to find Sif and Natasha patiently waiting for him inside Thunder Hammer. It certainly did not help his troubled conscience that an expectant Frigga was waiting for him inside Clint's Quinjet which was hovering above the Jaeger. It was to the Quinjet that Thor went to first, instead of joining with the Conn-Pod of Thunder Hammer.

 

"Thor?" Frigga asked, her smile tremulous. "My…my son?"

 

"I…I'm very sorry. I tried my best, but…" Thor lowered his head, unable to look at the woman before him lest she see how utterly he had failed and how guilt-stricken he was. "Loki…he would not come with me."

 

"So he's alive. I can find some comfort in that, right?" Frigga insistently inquired. "Those Masters…they have been…treating him well?"

 

The pilot would never reveal the tortures that the Precursors had put her son through. "Yes. In fact, Loki is himself a Master. But, please. Don't fall into despair, thinking that he's a traitor. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here right now. He actually sent me off with a warning, that the Masters would be attacking any minute now and…"

 

As soon as he uttered those words, there was a loud rumble coming from the ocean below.

 

"Something's happening!" Clint yelled from the cockpit.

 

Thor ran to the window and peered outside. Because of the tremor, Thunder Hammer was struggling to keep itself upright. But a few meters in front of the robot, the ocean waters were churning violently.

 

"Damn it!" Thor cursed under his breath. "They have begun their attack!" He led Frigga back into her seat and strapped her in. "Please stay here."

 

Running inside the cockpit, the pilot swiftly opened the comm-link with the Shatterdome. "Is anyone there? Fury, can you hear me? This is Thor."

 

"Thor!" Fury called out his name at the other end. "Thank God you made it back! The Breach has been forced wide open."

 

"Yes! Loki Laufeyson actually sent me off to warn you about the Masters' attack. There will be four Category 5 Kaiju coming through the Breach."

 

"We already know that. As soon as we detected activity in your location, I ordered the immediate deployment of IronJaeger and American Dream. But, we have a much bigger problem than those Kaiju. Coulson has been running the maths. If the destabilization in the Breach cannot be arrested, it will cause massive earthquakes and tsunamis throughout the globe. Worst case scenario, it might even tear the entire world apart. Already, movement is being detected in the tectonic plates worldwide."

 

"Is there anything we can do to stop it?"

 

"Coulson suggested that we again close the Breach with a nuclear warhead, but there is still a very high risk that the nuke may aggravate the destabilization of the plates. Unless there is someone in the Alteverse who can shut down the Breach, it's highly questionable what we can do at this end. For the meantime, while we are still figuring out other possible options, I want you and Sif in Thunder Hammer to hold off the Kaiju together with American Dream and IronJaeger the minute they arrive. I've also dispatched the entire Quinjet fleet to your location to back you up."

 

"We'll do that, sir," Thor said grimly as he shut off the comm-link.  

 

Although noted for his poker face in tight situations, Clint could not hide his worry. "We're going to lose this time, aren't we?"

 

"We mustn't give up yet," Thor grunted as he went toward the back of the jet so he could disembark and fly off to join his co-pilot in their Jaeger.

 

"Thor?" He heard Frigga call out to him. To his surprise, there was a serene, hopeful smile on the woman's face. With the firm certainty of a mother who is strongly confident in her children, she said, "Put your trust in Loki, Thor. He will get us out of this."

 

Thor did not have the heart to tell Frigga that Loki may not be inclined to help them, especially after what he had done. Instead, he nodded and put on his helmet. Before the rear door of the Quinjet could open fully, the pilot flew outside, zoomed down to the waiting Jaeger, and entered the hatch to Thunder Hammer's Conn-Pod. Inside, Natasha had already vacated Thor's place beside Sif and was about to rejoin Clint in the jet.

 

"Let's just do our best," Natasha stated firmly, clapping Thor's back before climbing up the hatch.

 

Taking his place at Sif's side, Thor waited for the cables to connect with his suit. After the neural handshake was initiated, he entered the Drift and linked up with his co-pilot. As soon as their minds were joined, he could not help but feel relieved at the reassuring weight of Mjolnir in his right hand.

 

"I'm so sorry, Thor…about Loki," Sif suddenly said. Yes, she would have seen what had transpired between him and the Kaiju Master in the Drift.

 

"I fucked up. I have no excuses for my failure," he replied remorsefully.

 

"Loki would not want you to fuck up in battle. Remember, he entrusted his mother to you. Are you ready?" Sif asked her partner with a cocky grin, keeping one eye on the violent waves before them.

 

"Come on, Sif! You know me!" Thor replied just as confidently. "I'm always ready!"

 

As soon as Thor said this, Slattern burst forth from the ocean with a mighty roar, lunging at the Jaeger, only to have its jaw smashed and teeth shattered by a devastating upward strike from Mjolnir.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

"This…is…not…working!" Steve called out between gritted teeth before American Dream was sent toppling into the sea by a pouncing Kaiju which looked like a cross between a Komodo dragon and a gorilla, and has thus been dubbed by Bucky as 'Gokomodo'.

 

Both Thor and Sif jumped when they heard Tony and Jarvis scream as Slattern tore off IronJaeger's arm. They too were having trouble holding their own against two other Kaiju—one with the sharp bill and swift swimming speed of a sailfish; the other a hulking, scaly beast with huge antlers, which Thor had named Bilgesnipe for its resemblance to the mythological creature his father had told him about in bedtime stories. Thor had already broken the sailfish Kaiju's spear-like bill with Mjolnir and toasted it with a burst of lightning fire. But anyone can see that their Jaegers were under equipped to combat a single Category 5 Kaiju, much more four.

 

Jolting Bilgesnipe with a lightning bolt which dazed it momentarily, Thor and Sif prompted Thunder Hammer into a run, tackling Slattern down before it could inflict more damage upon IronJaeger.

 

"Thanks!" Tony declared in relief over the comm-link, his ragged pants betraying the pain he was feeling from the loss of the Jaeger's arm. "For awhile there, I thought we were goners."

 

"Steve and I **_WILL_** be goners if you don't give us a hand!" Bucky yelled, as he and his partner struggled to break free from Gokomodo's bulk, the monster snapping at their mech's head with its sharp teeth.

 

Thor nodded toward Slattern, a cue which Jarvis quickly understood. Their two Jaegers reached down and seized Slattern's front legs. With a mighty heave, they hurled the monster into Gokomodo, so that both Kaiju sailed over American Dream and fell into the water several kilometers away.

 

 ** _"BEHIND YOU!"_** Steve shouted in warning.

 

Thunder Hammer whirled to find Bilgesnipe barreling toward them. As IronJaeger ducked out of its way, inside the Conn-Pod, Thor and Sif jumped high, their Jaeger following their movement. As the Kaiju stampeded below, the robot descended, landing astride Bilgesnipe.

 

 ** _"YEEHAW!"_** Tony cried excitedly as Thunder Hammer rode the bucking Kaiju with the expertise and tenacity of a rodeo cowboy. Before he could let out another enthusiastic cheer, Gokomodo pounced IronJaeger from behind.

 

"Could you please focus?" Jarvis demanded breathlessly as he blinded the creature with a repulsor burst.

 

Steve and Bucky found their hands full with Slattern, the devious Kaiju implementing a hit and run strategy. Not wanting to be caught flat on their backs again, Steve activated the Jaeger's star spangled shield, which deflected each lunge and strike that Slattern threw their way.

 

Inside Thunder Hammer, the two pilots were bruised and battered from the violent motions of Bilgesnipe, which was utterly determined to dislodge its unwanted rider. Out of desperation, Thor raised Mjolnir high, ready to bring its electricity-charged head down upon the monster's cranium.

 

However, the unexpected happened. Slattern—which finally managed to destroy American Dream's shield and had the Jaeger trapped beneath its massive paws—seized the hammer's handle with one of its three prehensile tails and yanked it out of Thunder Hammer's grasp. In the split second that the Jaeger was disarmed, Bilgesnipe suddenly leaped, twisting its body around in mid-air. Before Sif and Thor realized what the Kaiju was going to do, Bilgesnipe dropped down heavily, crushing Thunder Hammer beneath its bulky body. With its antlers, the Kaiju took vicious swipes at the Jaeger, the sharp tips of those prongs tearing away the robot's armor layer by layer.

 

It was at this desperate moment that Frigga's words returned to Thor.

 

**_"Put your trust in Loki."_ **

 

Fearing not only for his fellow Kaijubusters' lives but also that of Frigga's and the entire human race, Thor decided to take his chances and opened his mind completely to the weakening empathic bond between him and Loki.

 

"Loki, I know you can hear me. Please don't shut me out," Thor begged the Kaiju Master, as he and his co-pilot were brutally pummeled again and again by the monster straddling their Jaeger. Already, he could see the walls of the Conn-Pod buckling from the assault. "I am sorry for what I did to you. I am so sorry that I could not love you the way you want me to. You can kill me if you like, but please spare my friends. Spare your mother. Spare my world." Thor felt a sudden ache in his chest, a pain which he knew did not come from his heart. "Yes, Loki. Your mother is with us. She's in the Quinjet right now. She wanted so much to see you again, but just the knowledge that you are alive was enough for her. Please, Loki. The Precursors are not your people; we are. I am appealing to that last bit of humanity that is still inside you. **_HELP US, LOKI! PLEASE!_** "

 

Thor and Sif wailed in agony as the Conn-Pod's wall was ripped open, exposing them completely to the relentless Kaiju.

 

 ** _"NOOOO!"_** Thor heard Tony's horrified shout through their comm-link as Bilgesnipe lifted its terrible antlers to deliver the death blow.

 

Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a wolf Kaiju burst out of the turbulent sea, its sharp fangs tearing out the throat of Bilgesnipe, the vanquished beast spraying acidic blood in all directions as it sank lifeless into the ocean. With Sif still dazed, it took every ounce of Thor's mental strength to force Thunder Hammer to sit up. As he did so, he saw a small, human figure on a horse Kaiju emerge from the white foam of the wolf beast.

****

**_"LOKI, LOOK OUT!"_** Thor cried as Slattern shifted its attack from American Dream toward the dark robed Kaiju Master.

 

Loki had seen it coming. Raising his staff, he roared, **_"FENRIR!"_**

 

With a snarl, Fenrir doubled back and jumped onto Slattern's back. The Kaiju turned over, hoping to dislodge Fenrir the same way Bilgesnipe had done with Thunder Hammer earlier. But the crafty wolf Kaiju brought its whole weight down upon Slattern, pinning it. Loki urged Sleipnir toward the writhing behemoth. Leaping off of Sleipnir's back, he plunged the sharp tip of his scepter into the vulnerable spot of Slattern's head, at the inner corner of its left eye. Almost instantly, Slattern fell limp and perished.

 

Although it was now alone, Gokomodo was undaunted by the traitorous Kaiju Master and his creations. Its deafening roar was an electromagnetic pulse which shorted out the electronic systems of all three Jaegers as it charged in blind rage at Loki.

 

Before it could even get close, however, an enormous snake-like head—without a doubt, the biggest Kaiju the Kaijubusters had ever seen—appeared behind Loki, Sleipnir and Fenrir, its fin-like ears flapping menacingly. With a hiss, it swooped down upon the attacking Kaiju, sinking its fangs into Gokomodo's neck and its massive length coiling around the monster's body. Gokomodo struggled to break free, but it was useless. As Thor and the other pilots watched in awe and with grimaces of disgust on their faces, the snake Kaiju crushed its adversary to death and slowly swallowed it whole.

 

~~~~~~~~~~

 

A half hour later, the Kaijubusters were standing on the pier of the long abandoned Hong Kong Shatterdome. Beneath their feet, they could feel the earth tremble from the strain of the still open Breach. At the pier's edge, Loki was giving out orders to his Kaiju in the clicking noises characteristic of the Precursors' language. Thor could not help but smile as the Kaiju Master gave both Fenrir and the snake Kaiju fond rubs along the lengths of their jaws. In the end, though, he could no longer contain his emotions and he pressed his cheek against the two Kaiju, who nuzzled at him tenderly. Then, with a snappy bark and a sharp hiss to their brother Sleipnir to protect their sire, the wolf and the serpent returned to the ocean depths from which they came.

 

Patting the horse Kaiju's head in reassurance, Loki turned to face the Jaeger pilots, his fear and apprehension mirrored in his eyes. "I have commanded Jormungand to seal the Breach with his own body. Because of his tremendous length, he shall encircle the Earth in order to stabilize the tectonic plates. Fenrir will patrol the ocean, just in case the Precursors should decide to open another Breach elsewhere. He will also take care of any Kaiju that may still be lurking in your seas."

 

"Thank you, Loki," Thor said in sincere gratitude. "I know that you don't really have cause to help us, but I'm so glad you came."

 

"The reason for my presence here is because…we are still friends, am I correct?" Loki asked timidly. "Maybe, with time, I could settle with just that."

 

Thor approached the former Kaiju Master and gave him a brotherly peck on the brow. "We can never tell what time and the future have in store for us. Who knows? Perhaps, in the end, it shall be you and me after all."

 

"No, Thor," Loki countered, a pained smile on his face. "One rejection from you is already enough for me. Besides, there is still one love that I could count on."

 

"Loki? Son?"

 

They whirled around then to behold a weeping, yet beaming Frigga being escorted forward by Natasha and Clint, who were equally grinning. Glancing briefly at Thor, who nodded at him encouragingly, Loki let out a shuddering breath as he slowly approached the woman whom he had not seen in over a decade.

 

With each step away from him that the Kaiju Master made, Thor could feel Loki unraveling the bond between them slowly but surely until there was nothing left but a faint echo of longing and heartache. Despite himself, Thor felt a tear fall from his eye at the love that could have been between them.

 

When he at last stood before Frigga face to face, Loki asked nervously, "Are you…my mother? Forgive me, but my…memories…aren't all that good."

 

"Of course I'm your mother, Loki! Why, you even named your wonderful Kaiju after the animals you were so fond of in your childhood! Memories can be tricky things, but this…" Frigga laid her hand over his heart. "…This never forgets."

 

As the tears streamed down his cheeks, Loki threw himself into his mother's arms and buried his face in her shoulders.

 

The Kaijubusters wiped away the moisture filling their eyes as they watched the tender scene before them. While the threat of the Kaiju and the Precursors still hung over their heads, at least, they could share in their major triumphs of this day, for not only had they saved the world, but they had also made it possible for a grieving mother to be reunited with her long lost son.

 

 _"One rejection from you is already enough for me. Besides, there is still one love that I could count on,"_ Thor recalled Loki's parting words before the Kaiju Master had severed the empathic bond between them.

 

As he watched mother and son hug and kiss, a pain-filled, longing smile formed on the Jaeger pilot's face. _We have all the time in the world to mend the hurts between us, Loki. Although I still hope that there could be something more for us in the future, I shall treasure our bond of friendship. You are not a difficult man to love, Loki Laufeyson. Even if there could be no such love and passion between us, I know that sometime, somewhere, there is someone out there who shall be more deserving of your heart._

 

 

**THE END?**

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, there is going to be a sequel oneshot to this sometime in December. And, yes, that sequel is going to be Tomki. ;)
> 
> THANK YOU VERY, VERY MUCH TO BRILCRIST AND THE JUDGES OF THIS CONTEST FOR CHOOSING MY STORY AS THE WINNER!!!


End file.
